1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copying and printing apparatus operable in a copying mode for producing a copy of a document in an electrophotographic process, a master forming mode for forming a printing master corresponding to an image of the document, and a printing mode for printing using the formed printing master.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrophotographic copying apparatuses comprising a digital printing system are disclosed in the Japanese patent laid open publication Nos. 154869/1983 and 36769/1986 and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,562. The apparatuses disclosed in those official gazettes comprise a digital printing system for writing an image onto a photoconductor drum using a laser beam, in addition to an analog copying system. However, since the digital printing system utilizes the electrophotographic process as well as the analog copying system, it has disadvantages proper to the electrophotographic process.
The copying system using the electrophotographic process is suitable for obtaining a few copies of the document at a high efficiency. However, it is not so advantageous to obtain a mass of copies because of an expensive running cost and a comparatively low copying speed.